Visiting Taiwan: The Port City of Kaohsiung (Part 1)

Taiwan has many different experiences to offer, from the calm and serene atmosphere at Sun Moon Lake to the bustling port city of Kaohsiung. The public transport in Kaohsiung reaches many of the tourist destinations and makes it easy to explore the city.

From Zuoying High Speed Rail station, we switched to the Kaohsiung MRT (KMRT) to Kaohsiung Main Station where we checked into the Hwa Hong Hotel. The location of the hotel is awesome as it is just a few minutes walk from the MRT. After a quick lunch nearby the hotel, we then hopped back on the KMRT to Sizihwan station. From here, we strolled to the National Sun Yat Sen University (NSYSU) tunnel. When we exited the tunnel, we were already inside the university compounds. We walked about for a while before walking down the path towards the Takao British Consulate. To reach the consulate, you have to walk up a few flights of steps. Note that entry is no longer free. Next to the consulate you will also find a temple. For us, the best part was the view from the top and we took the opportunity to rest while taking photos from the top!

After a short rest, we then continued on foot to Gushan Pier where we took a ferry over to Cijin Island. Upon alighting the ferry, we headed straight for the tourist information centre where we got a map of the island. As we reached quite late in the afternoon, we barely managed to visit the lighthouse before it closed for the day. After the tiring hike up to the lighthouse, we then walked down to the Cijin beach to chill out. We then made a stop at the local market and the Matsu temple before stopping for shaved ice for dessert. Our last stop was a delicious and affordable seafood dinner at Cijin Island.

From Cijin Island, we then took the ferry again back to Gushan Pier. Do get ready the exact change required so that you do not have to buy something on the spot in order to pay for the ferry fare. As of November 2012, it costs TWD15 per person, one way.

Our next stop was the Fisherman's Wharf and Banana Pier which used to be warehouses. Now, they have been redeveloped into a dining and shopping precinct. However, as it was a weeknight on the day we visited, most of the restaurants were empty. There was also a very small variety of restaurants or bars to choose from, compared to what I was used to in Singapore's Clarke Quay. Personally, I would say these two places is not a must visit, unless you are in the area.

From Banana Pier, we then headed to Yanchengpu MRT station. Our final stop of the day was at Formosa Boulevard MRT station. We chose to exit via Exit 11 to visit Liu He Night Market. Another attraction here is the Dome of Light. When exiting, look up and you will see a large stained glass installation right above you. Take your time while looking up as the installation is made up of 4 different sections: water, light, earth and fire. After snapping lots of photos, we then walked out of the station to Liu He Night Market for some late night snacks before heading back to our hotel for a good night's rest!